Tenten: The Beginning
by reniRCx
Summary: In honor of the date being 10/10/10, I decided to write something about Tenten. Adresses Tenten' backstory/family and the reasons behind her views. Please R&R!


**A/N: So in honor of the date (10/10/10) I just had to create a Tenten fic. While planning/writing this, I had a bunch of ideas for later stories with this version of her backstory, so this might become a series. It's short, but I just had the idea today and wanted to post it today. **

"Tenten, I need you to help with the dishes!" Airika called down to her daughter, who'd barely left her room all day.

"I'm busy mom, give me a minute!" twelve year old Tenten shouted back.

After giving Tenten approximately five minutes, Airika yelled up again "Tenten! Now!"

The huff of annoyance was audible even from downstairs, and Airika smiled a little at her daughter's insolence. "We have the graduation exam _tomorrow_," Tenten complained. "I'm studying. Do you even understand how important this is?"

Airika handed Tenten a dripping plate and Tenten resigned to start drying it. "Honey, I wanted to talk to you about the graduation exam," she began.

"Mom, there is nothing to talk about! I'm taking it, and I'm _going _to be a Shinobi, and I'm going to be just as powerful a Shinobi as Ryuka and dad!"

"As powerful a ninja as me? Good luck there, kitten," Ryuka, Tenten's older brother, said as he strolled through the front door into the kitchen.

"Shut up, Ryuka!" Tenten yelled, brandishing a butter knife at him. Airika sighed and decided to intervene.

"Ryuka, if Tenten's goal is to become a powerful ninja, don't insult her for it. And Tenten, if you want to be a ninja at all, you can start by learning to control your emotions with your brother," Airika mediated. "Also, Ryuka, you have a curfew and it's long past."

"Whatever," Ryuka said, pulling his shoes off and smirking at his sister. "Good luck trying to be a ninja, kitten."

Tenten gave him the finger while their mother wasn't looking. Ryuka responded by making mock kitty ears over his head.

"He is infuriating," Tenten commented to her mother, making sure this time to keep her voice cool and her face blank.

"Your brother is just scared for you," Airika said. "After what happened to your father-"

"That's not him, that's you," Tenten snapped. "That's not what Ryuka thinks at all. That's why _you _don't want me to be a ninja." With that, Tenten stormed out of the room.

Airika sighed and dried the next dish in line herself. As much as she hated to admit it, Tenten was right. Her husband- Tenten and Ryuka's father- had died in battle two years ago. He had died trying to protect his female teammate. Was it wrong of her for her to not want her daughter to risk her life, risk the lives of her friends by becoming a ninja?

Hours later, Tenten could study no more and was just spinning a kunai knife around on her finger with the textbook open in front of her. Downstairs, she could hear her mother and Ryuka talking. Probably arguing about Ryuka's stupid curfew again, Tenten presumed. Then, when Airika raised her voice a little, she heard her name.

As any child or any true ninja would do, she opened her door quietly and went to sit on the stairs where she could easily hear them talking but there was no chance of them seeing her. "We won't be able to convince her," Ryuka was saying. "She's got too much of dad in her. She's determined to become the best ninja out there."

"But she won't," Airika argued. "Women aren't meant to be ninjas. She'll be the weakest one on her team, and it won't be fair to her team members or the village."

"Most teams have a girl on them now, Mom. Tenten's also training as a kuniochi. The one on our team, Elin, isn't a great ninja but we all protect her, and her medical skills have saved all of our lives. Tenten won't be totally useless. I don't want her to be in danger either, but it's ultimately her choice and we can't change her mind," Ryuka replied.

"Ninja teams aren't supposed to have a weakest link," Airika replied. "And that's what Tenten will be."

_No I won't, _the eavesdropper though. _Just watch me. I'll prove myself to you. _

"And Ryuka?" Airika continued. "If you have to protect that girl on your team, just remember that your life comes before hers."

"That's not what they teach us," Ryuka replied, and Tenten could hear him standing up. She silently scurried back to her room in case he was planning to use the stairs.

"The weakest link," she muttered scornfully, pacing her room. "And it's always the girl. I'll show them. I'll show my family, I'll show my team, I'll show this whole village that female ninjas can be just as good as male ninjas!"

And with that, Tenten's Ninja Way was born.

**A/N: I'm probably going to do a continuation with the rest of Team Guy. Would you read it? Did you like this fic? Review please!**


End file.
